As previously leaked, the Dutch government will introduce a corona pass for the catering industry on September 25. During a press conference, outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte emphasized that this is a temporary measure. ‘On November 1, there will be a new advice from the Outbreak Management Team (OMT) and then we will reassess the situation.’
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Anyone who has to be tested in the context of the corona pass should not have to pay a personal contribution, according to the prime minister. Extra money will also be made available to the municipalities to monitor compliance with the rules. There will be no support for the catering operators. They are responsible for checking their customers themselves.
The government also announced that face masks will remain mandatory in public transport and at airports. In stations and on platforms, mouth masks should be removed.
Rutte and de Jonge were also able to announce some relaxation. From September 25, ‘plenty’ of festivals, sports competitions and indoor events with fixed seats can be organized again. Furthermore, the government is releasing the mandatory 1,5 m distance. It remains a ‘safe distance’, according to Rutte. ‘Give each other space’, is his appeal. The government is also letting go of working from home.
‘I immediately add, that is not the day when everything will be back to the way it was before corona. There are still too many infections and hospital admissions for that. There are also still too few people immune and that makes the autumn uncertain,” said the prime minister.
Minister de Jonge said that healthcare institutions could record which employees have been vaccinated. Employees may refuse to say whether they have been vaccinated. However, there will be no compulsory vaccination for healthcare staff, according to de Jonge. Although he does not want to oblige healthcare institutions to use the corona pass, his cabinet is investigating the possibilities for this.
In addition to the corona pass, other measures apply to the catering industry. It must remain closed between midnight and 6 a.m. ‘This mainly affects pop temples and discotheques and clubs’, Rutte acknowledged. ‘We are looking at what this means for owners and how we can compensate for large sales losses.’
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